Itnesses



(No Model.)

J; W. VAUGHN'.

SPIKE.

Patented 1360.9, 1890.

UNiTnD STATES ATENT Fries.;

JOHAT IV. VAUGHN, OF SYRACUSE, NEIV YORK, ASSIGrNOIflv OF ONE-THIRD TQVILLIAM X. STEVENS, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPIKE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,560, dated December9, 1890.

Application iiled August 27, 1890. Serial No. 363,215. (No model.)

vTo @ZZ whom t may concern: also curved from the said widest portion toBe it known thatI, JOHN\V.VAUGHN,aciti the point and are on astraight-line taper 5o Zen of the United States, residing at Syracuse,from the neck to the widest point. The sides in the county of Onondagaand State of New at the widest portion are rounded in cross- York, haveinvented certain new and useful section and so continue to the point,while Improvements in Spikes; and I do hereby deupward from the widestportion this roundclare the following to be afull, clear,and exact inggradually verges to the corners, Where 5 5 description of the invention,such as will enthe rounding is discontinued at about twoalole othersskilled in the art to which it apperthirds the height of the spike.

1o tains to make and use the same. Vhen this spike is driven into thewood,

Thisinvention relates to that class of spikes its chisel-edge cutsacross the grain a little which are driven into the wooden cross-tiesless than vthe width of the neck. Then the 6o of a railroad beside therails to hold the rails sides, being rounded, part the grain on a longto the ties; and its object is to shape the easy wedge until thebroadest portion passes spike so that it will penetrate the wood within,when the grain closes gradually as the out splitting it and will holdtightly in the width of the spike diminishes, and the corwoodwhile inservice, and yet so that the ners are left along the neck portion, inorder 65 4spikemay be repeatedly moved and replaced that the grain,which has been stretched in the same hole without injuring that elasticsomewhat in being parted, may hug it closely,

2o quality of the wood which tends to restore it as it would not do itthe spike were of the to its original form when penetrated and to sameform at the neck as at the wedging end, hug repeatedly to the spike.which does the parting. The front and rear 7o To this end my inventionconsists of a spike faces, converging slightly to the broadest porof theform hereinafter described and claimed, tion, have a constant bearing onthe severed reference being had to the accompanying ends of the grain.The continual pounding drawings, in whichof passing trains causes thefibers ot the FigureI shows afront View of the preferred Wood to vibratewith a tendency to resume 7 5 form of my spike, with cross-sectionalviews their normal position, whereby there is a conon different levelsindicated by the respectsta-nt action against the wedging end of the 3oive dotted lines; and Fig. II shows a side view common spike to force itupward, thus loosof the same spike. ening its hold on the rail, an'd tocounteract The head a of the spike may be ot' any that tendencyin thisspike I have formed its So usual or preferred form, and the neck h ofbody with more of its length tapering upthe usual size of spike-bodies,about nin'e-siX- ward than downward. At the same time the teenths of aninch square. sides are so rounded and free from cutting- The point cispreferably chisel-shaped in edges and the taper both ways so gradual thedirection to cut across the grain of the that the wood may not only bepenetrated wood and a little narrower than the neck. The once withoutdestroying its elasticity, but the body d is considerably broader thanthe neck spike may be withdrawn and again placed in 4o and a very littlethinner, its greatest breadth the same hole without overcoming thenatural being about three-quarters of an inch at twohugging tendency ofthe grain, thus permitthirds the length of the spike from its head, tingrepairs to the track without removing 9o and its thickness at the samepoint being the tie and securing a great economy in the about halt.' ofan inch. The sides have easy saving of ties. Some of these advantages 45sloping curves from the widest portion to the would be obtained if thespike were pointed,

point and for about the same distance upas shown in dotted lines 7L,with a circular ward, then continue on a straight-line tapercross-section; but I prefer the chisel-point.

to the neck. The front and rear faces are Having thus fully described myinvention,

In testimony whereof I nixniy signntu re in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN XV. VAUGHN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR BEEBE. W. F. RAFFERTY.

